Dean97

Fortounis in his natural position, Manolas, Sokratis, Siovas, Fetfa, Ninis, Gianniotas, Fountas, Goutas, Kitsiou, Giannis Masouras and Kotsiras. Also Tzolis should be playing more instead of 5-10 minutes. Where’s Vasiliadis?? Tried so hard to get him. Alexandropoulos is our best CM in my opinion and doesn’t play. These are the players that should’ve been given first priority instead of Bakasetas, Tzavellas, Stafylidis, Poungouras, Bakakis and so on.

What really needs to happen is for the coach to go. He hasn’t learned anything and continues to give this team no plan or strategy on how to break down teams. This LBs at CB have to stop and so does Bakasetas and a few others have to leave the team. The only way this could happen is if the coach leaves. This is what happens when you don’t play your best players.

I agree with you. I am happy for the win but we need improvement still. Our movement needs work. So many times I saw our players just standing there and not busting there ass to move into space and collect the ball… If he wants to play these type of formations he needs to deploy the right players for it. After 35 games Bakasetas is finally showing that he can be somewhat decent in possession. Is he our best for the role he plays? I still think he isn’t but he’s stepped up and showing some improvement. I believe we were so lucky that we got the penalty. We looked confused in possession still but we got the 3 points and that’s what matters at the end of the day. Thankfully Pelkas scored. I agree Tzolis and Douvikas should start next game.

I would rather see Alexandropoulos start. He is the future and the now for me. He can do it all. His age shouldn’t matter. I would also put Siopis next to him.

Great to see. Even if he doesn’t play he is a great back up and this call up will give him loads of confidence.

For club he is. If you look at his statistics over the past couple of seasons he is our best. At international level most of our midfielders can’t cope and our strikers are left with little to no service.

By the way is Galanopoulos fit?

Why does not playing matter to this coach? He has called up Mavrias and Limnios in the past who weren’t playing for a while and still called them and actually played them. He’s also played Tsimikas, but he should be called regardless if he plays or not as he’s our best LB. Giakoumakis off the bench wouldn’t be so bad. Especially if we need to score late in the game. Fountas who is probably our best striker/finisher got left out. On top of that he has skill and speed to add to it.

Fountas or Giakoumakis should’ve been called. Both are our best in front of goal and the numbers they have done in the past speak for themselves. Doesn’t make sense to call Stafylidis as we have way better LBs now and he isn’t a CB. There shouldn’t have to be 4-5 LBs in this team. Athanasiadis deserves to be here. He has been doing very well for a long time and was man of the match against Real Madrid. He’s been impressive. Kolovos also seems to be inform aswell. I’m hoping we see the old Limnios because he can be dangerous for us when he’s playing well and Masouras is in the best form he’s ever been.

Great player. Always liked him since his days with Asteras. I even think he’s our best all round striker.

I remember seeing him play in a game for AEK in Europe and all I could think of was how much better he would be than Bakasetas for Greece.

We need to focus on winning that’s it. We have to get 4 wins. A draw would make our lives even harder as we will have to depend on what happens with Spain and Sweden. We have to beat everyone now. We shot ourselves in the foot big time against Kosovo and Georgia. We need to attack every team like we did against Sweden.

That’s exactly what I said on another forum. There’s a big disconnection between the friendlies and main games and I don’t know why. I feel like JVS panics in the main games and throws out his philosophy or the players don’t believe in themselves to do it in the qualifiers. In the game against Kosovo we didn’t value the ball and we were letting them have possession, which doesn’t make any sense against a team like that.

Feel exactly the same way. How can you go from wanting to attack to sitting back and defending against Kosovo and Georgia. The guy hasn’t learned anything. Still continues to pick players like Bakasetas and Bouchalakis for our midfield. I personally believe JVS and Bakasetas have cost us qualification. JVS is more to blame. I don’t think our players are that bad. JVS just didn’t set up the team correctly. We needed wingers badly this game. The aim should’ve been to attack and go at this team as much as possible.

It’s sad. Don’t know why we can’t do the simple things right like passing and moving into space. No one in the midfield to lead the team going forward like Fortounis did at times. No intent to attack. Shocking performance.

Since the day JVS took over those players you mentioned should’ve been the spine of the team. What’s wrong with picking and rotating CBs like Nikolaou, Retsos, Mavropanos and Hatzidiakos? But no he has to pick 33 year old Tzavellas and a LB like Stafylidis and Giannoulis at CB. Tzolis and Alexandropoulos should be starting every time now. Douvikas, Pavlidis and Fountas should be our strikers. Fortounis and Fetfatzidis are still our most creative players we’ve got. Add Galanopoulos, Bouchalakis, Androutsos, Vlachodimos, Tsimikas and Masouras and you have a team. What’s wrong with that?

He should’ve taken off Bakasetas. Can’t believe the treatment this guy gets.

I’d take Mavropanos over Svarnas and Tzavellas any day. There a reason he went from Pas Giannina to Arsenal at a young age. He’s a beast in Germany aswell. He isn’t the problem. Tzavellas and Bakasetas are the ones we should be blaming.

Truly unacceptable. Being content with a 1-0 against a team like that means the coach deserves to be terminated. Seems like JVS has no faith in the players he’s chosen.

There was no movement aswell. No one to take charge in going forward and no one helping. He set us up to defend like we were playing against a Spain.

Unbelievable. How can he set us up to defend all game against Kosovo? His mantra was all about attacking, possession and movement. Where was that today?? He set us up for disaster. What always irritates me the most about this team is when we are in the lead after 1-0 we always back off and become too content with the the 1 goal. That’s something I hate. Your supposed to look and try and score another. I said we needed to score more than 1. I don’t know who’s more to blame. Even the system and players we played we should’ve put this team away. They were trash. Tzavellas got bullied hard in that last goal. There big striker over powered and towered over him like he was nothing. His height as a cb was always going to be a problem. Bakasetas absolutely terrible in the 2nd half. Apart from his assist that Douvikas put away he did absolutely nothing. Fortounis was missed. A player like Fountas isn’t a sub player. The guy looks and shows a lot of quality. He can also score goals. He’s someone that can do a job anywhere you put him in attack. Someone who can be valuable for the team. I believe we are definitely out after this game. The Sweden game will most likely end up as a loss or draw which isn’t good enough. Another tournament we won’t make… I say bring in someone who knows about our players and talent pool but I don’t think anyone will want to coach us or has the knowledge of our players and knows who is better than who. Truly a disappointing time for us fans.

Great post and I agree 100%. We need to qualify. I’d be more than happy if we qualify with JVS and then get in a proper coach for the tournament. If we lose one of these games coming up then we are out I believe. JVS has made some very poor decisions in the past especially with our more talented players. Even when Fortounis was healthy he was being misused and under utilised. He had no mercy with Fetfatzidis and Siovas and got rid of them like they were nothing. Not convincing Manolas and Sokratis to come back is another thing. This fascination with Bakasetas has to stop. I read online there were squad line ups rumoured for Kosovo. One had Bakasetas in it and one didn’t. I’d go with the line up without him. This one player can stop the team from progressing. Especially the position he plays, which is very crucial in attack.

A draw or loss against Kosovo should mean JVS gets the sack. Can’t lose against them. Have to win. Sweden will be hard, we might be defending all game like we did against Spain. I just hope we win our next 2 games. That all I could wish for. His trust and loyalty of Bakasetas will make him get the sack in my opinion. Bakasetas shouldn’t and can’t lead us into a major tournament. If we eliminate him we’ll look like a good team and can possibly make something happen and also qualify.

Does anyone know a good and free streaming site to watch this game? Thanks.

Wow. That’s great to hear. We need them. Looks like Greece’s chances have gone up now. Now that you say Zeca is suspended, this should mean Alexandropoulos plays. Alexandropoulos is a great CM and I hope he starts against Kosovo which will be a difficult game.